New Music - Get the Blessing - Bristopia

Get the Blessing are a Bristol (UK) based four-piece band formed back in 1999 by bassist Jim Barr and drummer Clive Deamer (rhythm section of seminal act Portishead) alongside Jake McMurchie (on sax and electronics) and Pete Judge (trumpet and electronics) . Following their 2015 album Astronautilus, the jazz-rock mavericks return with their new Album ‘Bristopia’. Blending mutant jazz with spacey electronics and post rock atmospheres, ‘Bristopia’ ventures into new, unexplored territories.

They began the journey by taking their old friend Tim Allen to engineer and select from the studio’s excellent vintage mic collection., “We recorded as we have for the last two albums, dividing the time between prodding and poking at things we’d prepared in advance, and summoning up the spirits of invention from complete unpreparedness, unleashing little soundtracks for imaginary films. After three days we returned to base camp to pick over the spoils, at which point the process became more like sculpting: Jim wielding the chisel and the rest of us jogging his elbows until we’re left with some beautifully strange shapes.”. Enlisting the help of regular / irregular collaborator Adrian Utley, whose guitar-sprayed some strikingly unexpected colours across some of the objects, they then persuaded pedal-steel guitarist Margerethe Bjorklund to add some skilfully applied brushstrokes to the piece.

Listen to a cut:

so what do we have……well, imagine going to a gig where four musicians pick up their chosen instruments and kick out improvised jams on the spot that seem to hold together by just will alone. At times it felt like it shouldn’t work, so much going on and sometimes unrelenting, as with their opening track ‘If It Can It Will‘ and ‘Cellophant‘, but it does work and its a trip. These guys know their stuff and you get a sense that as a group they become one in their sessions, feeding of one another’s ideas and flow (that and obviously being great musicians) Alongside the quick paced tracks full of rich textures and excitement, Get The Blessing also show off their talents with some lo-fi numbers such as ‘Cococloud‘ and The ‘The Grand Scheme Of Things‘ which provoke images of smoke filled bars and late night jazz sessions. Bristopia is bursting with creativity, an album that’s sometimes playful, sometimes dark and sometimes just simply mind blowing. Get The Blessing bring their ‘A’ game to create a uncompromising contemporary jazz-Rock adventure. Enjoy.

Track List:

1. If It Can It Will

2. Cococloud

3. Cellophant

4. Sunwise

5. Not With Standing

6. Recorded for Training And Quality Purposes

7. Bristopia

8. Rule Of Thumb

9. The Second Third

10. Tuathal

11. The Grand Scheme Of Things